Defroster



Deal@ 3935.. J. G. EDWARDS 2,024,03l

DEFROSTER Filed Oct. 23, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 10, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT 4OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention aims to provide a simple means for catching the water, and the ice which sloughs off, during the defrosting of the refrigerating unit of a mechanical refrigerator.

A preferred form has been shown, but a. mechanic working within the scope of what is claimed may make changes without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Figure 1 shows in elevation, a refrigerator to which the defroster has been applied.

Figure 2 is a transverse section of the defroster, In place.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of the defroster.

Mechanical refrigerators are of widely divergent constructions, but in Figure 1 there is shown a refrigerator comprising a body I pro-vided with a door 2, there being a compartment 3 in the body. The body I may contain a shelf 4, above which is located the refrigerating unit 5.

The refrigerating unit 5 is supported in a variety of ways, sometimes by brackets 6, connected to the top portion of the body I. One of the pans of the refrigerating unit 5 is shown at 1.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided a cover or sack 8, made of any flexible and Waterproof material. Various grades of oil cloth are suggested, but not insisted upon. The cover 8 should be of a size to receive the refrigerating unit 5 amply, and may be deep enough to rest on the shelf 4. Since refrigerators and their refrigerating units differ much in construction, it is obvious that large latitude is desired as to the form and size of the cover 8.

The cover 8 comprises sides 9, a bottom IU, a

i front II, a back I2, and a top I5. 'Ihe sides 9 and the bottom I8 may be made in one piece, the front II and the back I2 may be joined to the sides 9 and the bottom I by seams and reinforcements I4, and the top I5 may be joined to the sides 9 and to the front II and the back I2 by seams and reinforcements 23. The manufacturer can use considerable discretion as to the particular Way in which the sack 8 is made.

The top I5 is divided along a median longitudinal line to form flaps I6, connected by a fastening means of any desired sort. A wellknown commercial fastener, which can be identified by the showing of the drawings, I'I has been shown for that purpose, but something else might be used. The fastener I1 extends a little way down on the back I2, as shown at I8, and the back, therefore, can be opened slightly, near to its upper edge. A reinforcement I9 on the inside of the back I2 connects the extension I8 of the fastener Il with the back.

The front I I is slit downwardly from its upper edge, to form flaps 20, connected by a fastening means, of the sort hereinbefore alluded to, though some other device might be used. A reinforcement 22 on the outside of the front II connects 5 the lower end of the fastener 2|, or its equivalent, with the front.

Hot water may be placed in the pan l, to hasten the defrosting, the cover 8 is placed about the refrigerating unit 5, and the cover is closed at the front by the fastening device 2l, the cover being closed at the top by the fastening device I'I as much as the supports 6 for the refrigerating unit 5 will permit. The current is turned off the unit. The refrigerating unit 5 voids itself of ice 15 or frost, and the resulting water is caught in the cover or sack 8, that article generally being supported on the shelf 4.

When the defrosting is completed, the operator does not have a refrigerator smeared internally with drip, and with its contents moved out of place to avoid the drip and to make room for a drip pan. The contents of the compartment 3 remain in their original places, dry and clean, the water melted olf the refrigerating unit 5 be- O5 ing confined to the sack 8, which may be removed N and emptied.

Since the sack 8 is flexible it may be fitted about the unit 5 to clear any article on the shelf 4 or elsewhere in the refrigerator.

What is claimed is:

l. Means for defrosting the refrigerating unit of a refrigerator, and for collecting the water produced during the defrosting operation, when the temperature of the refrigerating unit is raised, said means comprising a flexible, waterproof sack, shaped to receive the refrigerating unit and conforming approximately to the outline thereof, means for closing the sack about the refrigerating unit, and means for heating 40 the surface of the refrigerating unit, the lastspecified means operating within the sack.

2. Means for defrosting the refrigerator unit of a refrigerator, and for collecting the water produced during the defrosting operation, when ,.15 the temperature of the refrigerating unit is A raised, said means comprising a flexible, waterproof sack, shaped to receive the refrigerating unit and conforming approximately to the outline thereof, means for closing the sack about 5 the refrigerating unit, and means for heating the surface of the refrigerating unit, the lastspecified means operating within the sack, the sack being long enough to rest on a part of the refrigerator below the refrigerating unit, whereby the weight of the load of Water in the sack may be carried by said part.

3. In the process of defrosting the refrigerating unit of a, refrigerator, those steps which comprise enclosing the refrigerating unit temporarily in a waterproof casing, closing the casing, heating the space Within the casing to the point of defrosting, collecting in the casing the water produced during defrosting, and removing the 10 casing with the water in it.

4. A device for defrosting the refrigerating 

